Raman spectroscopy has been demonstrated as a powerful non-invasive analytical technology for material characterization and identification. Conventional Raman spectrometers suffer from a bulky size, which limits them only to laboratory usages. Recently, with the development of diode laser based excitation light sources and compact CCD (charge-coupled device) array spectrometers, Raman spectrometers were made as compact handheld instruments that can be used to perform in-field sample analysis. Some exemplary handheld Raman spectrometers can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,542,138 to Gardner, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 7,675,611 to Azimi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,928,391 to Azimi et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 7,524,671 to Clarke et al.
However, existing handheld Raman instruments lack certain features which are important for in-field operations. Such features include but are not limited to (i) bright display unit working in all light conditions; (ii) convenient way for user command and data entry; (iii) interactive guidance to help the user perform spectrum measurement and analysis; (iv) enhanced battery life; and (v) remote control capability.